Effect of Covid-19 on Food, Nutrition, Health, Medicine

In this episode, I want to share with you some of the issues that have resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic so far, particularly as it pertains to food and nutrition. Some of these issues will probably provide a brief bit of insight for future industry innovation.

So first let’s talk about the Food and Nutrition Service Federal Employees (FNGSE) union. Much like a private health care service provider, the government has traditionally been the provider of medical care to employees and government servants. the principal cause is to shield the general public interest.

Social data collected on food and nutrition are used by organizations like AgriBanks and nonprofit organizations to inform policy. Imagine the personal information collected by insurance companies on the experiences of their customers and how this information could be used for financial gains.

In July of 2020 AgriBanks released a list of 7 top food safety-related concerns.

To complete this overview of the government’s efforts, I would like to look at four responses to the CDC’s Generic Recommendations Report.

1) The CDC recommendations don’t actually break down what are the issues that are impacting the need for these recommendations but rather what the recommendations are designed to address:

Unhealthy diets at home and schools: The CDC reports that 12.5 million American children are at high risk of becoming obese because of the unhealthy diet they get at home.

Unhealthy diets in restaurants: Although 53% of children and more than half of all adolescents get their meals at home, health experts say that at least 10 million children are eating in restaurants. One-third of restaurant meals are made with fast food. These meals may come as a low-income meal under federal and health care legislation.

Unhealthy lifestyles: The CDC lists drinking soda, consuming fast-food restaurants, fast food restaurants with delivery, and increasing the size of the overall menu size. These behaviors all lead to unhealthy lifestyles.

Rising obesity: The CDC reports that 42% of American adults (ages 2–19) were obese and one in four school children are obese. Despite having the recommended 5’2″ height and a body mass index of 30 (versus 25 lbs above a normal weight), for each group of one percent of the increase in BMI, it is associated with 730 more deaths per year.

Healthy eating habits that are just shifting, exacerbating the problem

So, the 1’2″ college students in big numbers are ingesting speedy food at restaurants. Adults in both groups are eating at restaurants. What we can do is shift the eating habits of these kids in the right direction. Perhaps if they ate at home, made enough healthy choices, they wouldn’t need restaurants as frequently, so we can provide healthier options that are more affordable so this factor is an external one.

2) The CDC is implementing a program called “Healthy Kids in School”. This program has the goal of encouraging healthy eating habits in kids and schools in a timely manner. So this program will target grocery chains, health centers, and schools that already have on-site Healthy Eating. This program essentially rewards schools that promote healthy eating habits and rid them of unhealthy choices.

What the CDC doesn’t mention is how these recommendations have really increased the amount of food and nutrition that are produced locally. As of September 18, 2020, there are currently 37 states that have limited operations in the production of meat.

However, according to the USDA official data, the number of plants and animals increased in September and October 2020 by 3% and 5% respectively. This is a good thing, since reducing the market size will increase the number of jobs that are available in the meat production industry. (Theoretically, this move could decrease consumers’ prices as well.)

This can further show a trend that’s occurring around the country. So, Food & Nutrition Service Federal Employees (FNGSE) union members and others like you need to start asking “Why am I asking myself these questions?" Well, it’s about cutting down the workload and doing something positive in the world!

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